UTAMU Business School Bachelor of Public Administration and Management Course

Introduction

Public Administration is a multi disciplinary field concerned with the management of public affairs at whatever level. In its endeavor, the discipline borrows from other disciplines like law, political science, sociology, economics etc. Public Administration is essentially concerned with the public service. It focuses on the performance of government in formulating and implementing public policies, the skills required to manage the civil service, and the ethics and values which should guide the conduct of public affairs at all levels. A programme in public administration should be able to educate its target audiences in the skills and competences of having a proper attitude to public service as a vocation. The Bachelor of Public Administration and Management is thus intended to prepare students to work in the various levels of government and other non-state agencies as managers, policy analysts, program directors and administrators. The three- year programme will cover a total of six semesters with the four semesters covering core foundational courses in public administration and management while the last two semesters will deal with courses in selected specialty areas. In addition, it is proposed that the last semester will involve some intensive community engagement arrangements to prepare students for the world of work. This engagement is intended to expose the students to selected areas of work within their areas of specialization.

Rationale for the Programme /Justification of the Programme

The nature of management and administrative problems experienced in the world of work today demands graduates with the right attitude, skills and competencies to public service as a vacation. The Bachelor of Public Administration (BPAM) curriculum is designed to specifically address the strengths and weaknesses with respect to the core values of public service which apparently have been taken away by business-driven methodology. The curriculum of most degree programmes in this important foundation area of any government have tended to emphasis the application of private sector styles at the detriment of public service core values. Yet, the symbiotic linkage between the two sectors demands that both contexts be appropriately brought in any training programme at whatever level. Within this philosophy, our curriculum endeavors to address the dynamic and constantly changing environment of working professionals by helping adult students in reaching their professional and personal goals within the scope of the degree program while serving society as expected of them. A bachelor’s degree in public administration provides a good background for those interested in pursuing careers in governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and management in public institutions, consulting in private firms, school boards, and human resources. Unlike other degree programmes which tend to be specific to the one discipline, this degree programme takes a multidisciplinary approach. The strengths of this programme is based on the adoption of up-to-date technology in teaching management and administration. It also has a strong emphasis on practice and this is ensured through using well knowledgeable and experienced instructors. The use of guest speakers will further cement the capacity of the staffs that will teach on the programme.

Objectives of the Programme

The bachelor of public administration and Management is aimed at the all-round education, acquiring academic expertise and competences that are typical of functioning in the domain of administration in the public sector and at preparing for any further academic studies at master’s level in the domains of administration, policy and management. The BPAM programme has the objective to enhance students’ theoretical, conceptual and practical understanding of:

1. Public administration and management in a changing environment.
2. Policy design, policy implementation and policy impact. .
3. Financial management, information and knowledge management, human resource management.
4. Global, regional and local government as well as health development issues..
5. Responsible government, good governance and effective leadership..

The programme also aims to equip students with competencies and skills to:

1. Be effective administrators and managers. .
2. Deal with the huddles that stand on the way of administrative efficiency. .
3. Engage in effective communication. .

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme, the students should be able to:

1. Possess the knowledge about the importance of public administration and management in societal organization.
2. Possess the creative thinking ability, analytic skills, and ability to integrate and apply the knowledge obtained from multiple sources to develop and improve the public administration and management system.
3. Be knowledgeable of issues related to public administration and management in local public administration and health administrative systems in order to make effective and ethical decisions.
4. Possess the ethical values, perform their duties and responsibilities according to the good governance principles and conduct themselves with social responsibility.

Target Group

Students who undertake this programme will be in position to work in any sector of government, private sector and NGO as administrators and managers. Specifically, careers in government agencies, international agencies, local governments, urban authorities, hospitals will target graduates of BPAM degree. There are many other different job opportunities for graduates in the business world for graduates of public administration. Public administration degree holders will thus have great career flexibility and will work in almost any area of their interests as administration is in every sector of our society.

Programme Structure- The Curriculum

BPAM programs focuses on public administration and management at the local, national, parastatal and supranational levels, as well as in the nonprofit sector. Through its history, the BPAM degree has become more interdisciplinary by drawing from fields such as economics, management, sociology, and political science among others in order to equip BPAM graduates with skills and knowledge covering a broad range of topics and disciplines relevant to the public sector. A core curriculum of a typical BPAM program usually includes courses on economics, public finance, research methods / statistics, policy analysis, ethics, public management, leadership, planning and program evaluation, human resources management among others. It is in this regard that we offer the following curriculum for our Degree programme: